Melbourne is a fantastic city with a vibrant restaurant, bar and pub scene, great weather, famous beaches, plenty of cultural attractions and places of stunning beauty. One thing it certainly leads the world in is the shear number of world class sporting events that take place here. Motor racing, tennis, cricket, rugby union, horse racing and even football take their turns as the must-see sporting event of the month. It really is the premier event destination in the world and one of the best things about it is that the premier sporting arenas are generally very easy to get to and usually within easy walking distance from the city centre. The go to city for ex-pats settling in Australia it is a city that is synonymous with sports and sporting events. If you are a sports fan and would like to take in some live sports whilst in Melbourne look at our schedule of sporting events that take place in the city in 2018 and 2019.
Formula 1 Motor Racing 22-25th March 2018
The opening race of the Formula 1 calendar takes place in Melbourne every March. Race day is on the Sunday but there is practice, qualifying and a host of other events taking place during the week such as aerial displays, concerts, car displays and much more. Who do you fancy to get off to a winning start in 2018 – Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen or home favourite Daniel Ricciardo to take the spoils?
The Melbourne Cup November 2018
The Flemington Racecourse is the location for a horse race that captivates the whole of Australia. The Melbourne Cup Carnival is a week-long extravaganza which is a great spectacle for avid racing fans and casual observers alike. It is one of the richest horse races in the world and expect plenty of food and drink to be consumed throughout the week.
Big Bash Cricket December 2017 – January 2018
One of the world’s finest T20 cricket competitions hits the outstanding stadiums across Australia. Melbourne is home to two of the leading teams in the competition, the Melbourne Stars and the Melbourne Renegades and a great evening is had by all. Whether you are a cricket fan or not the atmosphere at the stadiums is great and well worth getting a ticket if you are in Melbourne when a game is taking place. Sadly, you won’t get to see Kevin Pietersen clearing the boundaries this year as he retired at the end of the last season but expect well known greats from England, Australia, the West Indies, New Zealand and other nations plying their trade here.
International Rugby Union Australia v Ireland June 2018
The Wallabies will be taking on Ireland in 3 tests in Jun 2018 with Melbourne, unsurprisingly, host to the 2nd test on Saturday June 16 at AAMI Park. Will the newly crowned six nations champions be able to defeat the Australians on home soil. Head to Melbourne to find out!
Boxing Day Test 2018
The boxing day test at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) is another well known cricketing event in Melbourne’s sporting calendar. During Ashes tests it is of course England who are the opponents but in 2018 India will be the team to lock horns with the Australian team. All being well the world’s two best batsmen, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be locking horns and hoping to take home the spoils.
Australian Open Tennis 2019
In late January the tennis world descends on Melbourne as another world class sporting events takes place in the city. The first of four Grand Slam’s in the tennis calendar takes place in January 2019 at the Rod Laver Arena for two weeks. Federer, Williams, Nadal, Djokovic and of course Andy Murray will be hoping to seal victory in the men’s tournament in 2019. Will Serena Williams be back to her best in Melbourne? The stadium is in the heart of the city, so it is easy to get to but pack your sun cream as it can get very hot on court – particularly if you end up watching a five-set thriller.
Other Sports
Football (or soccer as they like to call it in Oz!!!) is gathering momentum in Australia and Melbourne is home to two teams who play in the Australian A League. Melbourne City FC and Melbourne Victory can be watched at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium and the Docklands Stadium. If you want to take in an authentic Melbourne sporting event, head to the Etihad Stadium or the MCG and watch some ‘Aussie Rules’ football (or Australian Football League to give it the correct name). The vast majority of Aussie Rules teams are from Melbourne including famous Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton and Melbourne Football Club all hail from Melbourne so you are sure to get to see a game when visiting during the season which runs from March to September in 2018. There are lots of other sports going on in this sport mad city including basketball, baseball, water sports and more.
If you are heading to Melbourne for one of these fantastic sporting events book your flights to Melbourne with the Savvy Flyer – we can save you up to 50% off published fares and have flights starting from £580. You can also check out our Melbourne holiday guide for more information about the city.
A look at some of the sports grounds in Melbourne: The MCG